Friday, November 30, 2012

Stylist Extraordinaire - Tracey Pincott

Photo by Wayne Mah

This is the second re-print of a Behind The Scenes article I wrote for Fame'd Magazine (folded as of March). Tracey Pincott is positive, upbeat, absolutely full of energy and brings intense organization and focus to every project. From her early fashion events (one which attracted over 1000 guests) to her famous X-Files shoot with Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny that became a cover for Rolling Stones first is Australia and then in the U.S., her extensive portfolio is an impressive array the speaks volumes about her talent and work ethic. The article below is only the briefest overview of our interview. Perhaps it's time to write a more extensive one in the near future.

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Fashion stylist Tracey Pincott
remembers her 16th birthday well. She accompanied her
father on a business trip to London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles.
When he headed off to work and left her alone in New York, she
hailed a cab and said, “Take me to Charles Jourdan on 5th
Avenue.” There she bought her first pair of Charles Jourdan shoes
and, “That was it!” What she brings to every job is drive,
determination, amazing energy and the emotional bond she develops
with clients and fellow artists. As she shared just a few of the many
opportunities her career has brought, there was one phrase that kept
recurring. “We laughed, we cried, we fought...it was a riot!”

In her late
teens, Pincott decided to move to Montreal with her best friend and
become a famous fashion designer. The reality was working at a
restaurant where fashion artists hung out. On returning to
Vancouver, she boldly walked into Clark's in Pacific Centre and
announced she wanted to be a buyer. With no previous experience, the
job offered was selling men's suits. “I could sell a suit like
nobody's business and after a couple of weeks the buyer came over,
introduced herself and asked what I was doing the next morning.”
She quickly became her assistant on morning appointments. Then
Pincott was talking with friend Brad Gough one day and threw out the
idea of running a fashion show. “We went to the Commodore and
asked if we could use the venue. Then I walked across the street to
the Yvon Bourgeois Esthetician School and asked if he would help. We
were hoofing tickets ourselves and filled the place.” This became
the first of many runway shows she has produced, occasionally in
crazy locations such as armouries and movie sets.

Another great
opportunity was meeting Gabriel Levy. He would come into Clark's to
pull clothes for editorial shoots and have Pincott select the
garments. After helping in-store for awhile, she approached him
about being his assistant. She ended up working with him at
Vancouver Magazine for years, earning those first tear sheet credits.
Then came a call from Western Living. They were interviewing
for a new fashion editor position and Pincott decided to give it a
go. She remembers, “I went to their offices in Kitsilano. There
was a lot of beige and I was a punk rock girl in my black leather
mini-skirt. Other women were there pitching, some established
writers. I never thought I'd get the job, but I did!” After seven
years at Western Living, she went on to work with publications such
as V Magazine, Chinese Edition Magazine and The Globe and Mail's West
Magazine.

The chance to spread her wings further
came in many ways. There was styling for television commercials as
well as a contract from Economic Development Canada to produce a
fashion show in Japan featuring Canadian designers. One key booking
was for TV Guide. They needed a cover shot for a hot show at the
time – the X-Files with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson . The
shoot proved challenging on many fronts and Pincott found herself
exhausted, but her hard work paid off. The next day she received a
phone call from Los Angeles letting her know Duchovny wanted her on
all his future magazine shoots. Five years later she styled the
X-Files cover for Rolling Stone Australia with photographic superstar
team Denis Montalbetti and Gay Campbell – a cover that was picked
up by the Los Angeles edition.

Pincott's extensive resume is filled
with high profile clients such as Bacci's, Harry Rosen, Hugo BossCanada and Kersh/Press. Collaborations with world-class artists
include Raphael Mazzucco, Carol LeFlufy, Susan Casey, Chrisanne Davis
and James O'Mara and she has styled for celebrities such as SarahMcLachlin, Chris Isaak and Michael Buble. Editorial work is still
her favourite and a few stand out from the rest. One was working
several seasons for the luxury brand, “Faconnable”. She would
fly to Nice to put the looks together and then spend days shooting in
“...some of the most beautiful locations ever.” The other was
for V Magazine. “It was the Valentine's Day issue. I picked seven
red dresses and seven photographers. The dress I selected for each
photographer was chosen for a reason. They took the dress and then
put their own art on it. When it becomes our art and the right fit,
it's very exciting.”

One change Pincott rues is the move to
digital photography. “I'm very tactile and I miss real film.”
Current financial restraints have also had a negative effect on the
industry, limiting fashion shows and causing most artists to need a
side job. “There aren't people shooting ads every month for your
magazine. It's a different world.” For students looking at this
career, she shares that huge people skills are needed and warns they
will most likely have to work many years for free to gain experience,
just like she did.

Tracey Pincott's energy is palpable and
the love of her trade shines through. Sitting in her home surrounded
by paintings she has collected over the years, one is reminded that
her work is HER art and there is no doubt she has a lot more creating
to do.

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Freelance writer, published author, editor and speaker..
"Everyone has a story to tell, it's just a matter of asking the right questions."
For more information visit www.marilynrwilson.com
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